Why poetry can help you write your college essay
Written by: Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D.
Poetry inspires great writing. The brevity and precision of language creates a story the reader connects with because of their own life experience. When you’re writing the college admissions essay, your goal, much like the magic of poetry, is to have the reader feel they’re a part of your story and connect with you through your words. Your essay is your opportunity to get your voice in the room. It’s your chance to stand out and not get lost in the sea of applications. You also have a limit as to how many words you can use, so your word choice is important. The same is true with poetry.
Brainstorming ideas using poetry as your guide can help you strengthen your writing skills and submit a standout college admissions essay. Think about all of the forms of poetry you’ve studied over the years: haiku, sonnet, acrostic, and more. Use any form of poetry as your platform for coming up with ideas. It’s so helpful when you’re stuck because it’s short and to the point so you won’t feel overwhelmed by feeling you have to have an entire essay written, yet.
Here are 3 reasons why poetry helps you write a better college admissions essay:
Word choice is concise and precise.
Poetry allows you to play with language and find just the right words, especially those that create an experience for the reader. You want the admissions officer to feel they’re right there with you. Your word choice makes that happen when you can describe a setting or an experience with strong imagery. It’s important to be concise because the admissions officer, who is reading thousands of other essays, wants to understand who you are quickly and find a point of connection.
Pick one snapshot in time, like a photograph, and focus.
Adding to the importance of being concise and precise, is the need to focus on one snapshot in time. It’s common to think you need to fit several topics into one essay, but this isn’t your brag sheet or resume.
Do you think the admissions officer is going to get a good picture in their mind of who you are when they are trying to read an essay muddled by multiple topics?
In our visual world, photos are central to how we communicate. Just think about how often you’re using Snapchat, posting on Instagram, or any other app using photos. The focus is on a moment in time. Your photos can be a starting point for inspiring a poem and helping you get your ideas on paper to expand upon in an essay.
What is the one snapshot you will use to tell your story?
Provide structure for your thoughts.
Poetry can be written in so many different ways. If you love poetry, you know the different styles from haiku to diamante to sonnet, just to name a few. Each style provides structure for getting your thoughts on paper, a key aspect of brainstorming before you begin writing your essay. The college admissions essay asks you to write a personal narrative, and this often presents a challenge because it’s not the most common style of writing during your academic career. So, start small. Start with poetry. A great place to start is to try writing what’s commonly referred to as an “I am from...” poem inspired by George Ella Lyon’s own poem “Where I’m from” . Use this structure to focus your essay topic. You’ll discover how much fun it is to brainstorm about your life and find your way to a more focused topic for an admissions essay.
